


From now on, I'll take care of you (I don't mind)

by giftedjaeyun



Category: ENHYPEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Best Friends, Exhaustion, Fainting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Ni-ki makes an appearance, Secret Crush, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29585583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giftedjaeyun/pseuds/giftedjaeyun
Summary: Sunghoon knew something was up.or: Jake wears himself out and Sunghoon comes to his rescue.
Relationships: Park Sunghoon & Sim Jaeyun | Jake, Park Sunghoon/Sim Jaeyun | Jake
Comments: 15
Kudos: 73





	From now on, I'll take care of you (I don't mind)

Sunghoon knew something was up with Jake.

How he seemed out of it. How he was mostly heaving than breathing today. How he obviously looked miserable (even with the older’s outright denial). Sunghoon knew at that very moment that there was something off about his best friend.

He already asked about it, but Jake just brushed it off as just Sunghoon being too worried. He has a point though—after all, Sunghoon may have been a bit _too_ concerned about the older for a while now, but he didn’t need to know that. In fact, if not for Jake’s constantly growing and darkening eyebags, Sunghoon would have believed his excuse in a heartbeat. It also didn’t help how he looked out of breath today, with a simple walk to the field already taking too much of his energy.

It was sports week and unexpectedly, Jake was asked to play even though he had already previously disagreed. Sunghoon told him to decline the offer beforehand, as he knew that Jake will be stubborn enough to practice and study at the same time (it was exams week next week, which was honestly a bad move for the school). Apparently, the lineup fell short of one member today, and ever the soft-hearted being he was, Jake agreed to play. Sunghoon, meanwhile, could not let his friend go without supervision, especially with his suspicions about the other’s current state.

Sunghoon sighed. He was currently sitting on the bleachers directly beside the field, watching as his best friend played his way to their team’s victory. They were getting close to winning when Jake stumbled, causing Sunghoon to sit up in alert. To any other observer, it appeared as though someone tripped Jake, but Sunghoon closely noticed how other players seemed far enough for that to happen. He watched as Jake made his way to the goal.

The end of the field was frighteningly close as Jake swiftly passed the ball to his teammates. Only one more kick and… _goal!_

The side of the field where Sunghoon was at roared in celebration at their victory. From afar, he could see Jake being pushed around into a huddle as his teammates crowded around him proudly. He heard the three whistles signalling the end of the game while Jake’s team continually jumped in excitement. He noticed how the older gazed at the bleachers, searching for Sunghoon. When he finally found him, he smiled proudly at Sunghoon who gave an equally proud smile, giving him a two thumbs up in return.

He ran towards Sunghoon, but in that short moment, something akin to panic flashed in Jake’s eyes. For the second time that day, he stumbled, causing the younger to stand up in alarm. Before he could even reach Sunghoon, he swayed then fully collapsed into the ground.

In a flash, Sunghoon sprinted across the field, not giving the slightest care at the stares thrown at them. He knelt in front of the older and gently tapped him on the shoulders.

“Jake. It’s Sunghoon, can you hear me?”

Upon hearing his voice, Jake’s face scrunched up in pain. He slowly sat up and leant on Sunghoon’s chest, clutching his head on one hand and his best friend’s hand on the other.

“H- Hurts. Dizzy.”

“Hang on. You need to breathe.” Jake shook his head, making Sunghoon sigh. “Come on, inhale, exhale. Slowly. There you go.” 

After making sure that he wasn’t out of breath, Sunghoon gently extricated Jake’s hold on his hand to put his arms under him. He swept the older up into his arms, now just feeling how Jake was burning up. He laid Jake’s head on his shoulder and walked away to the infirmary as fast as possible, while trying not to jostle the other. 

When reached their destination in a short while, Sunghoon quickly brought the two of them to the most secluded part of the clinic. He gently laid Jake down on the bed before calling for a nurse to attend to him, who approached them right away. As she went to check on Jake, she asked them some questions, which Sunghoon was more than glad to answer for him. 

“Latest strenuous activity?”

“He just finished playing for a full game,” Sunghoon supplied.

“What time did he sleep last night?”

“About half past eleven.”

“2:30 am…” Jake whispered, making Sunghoon’s head whip towards him in incredulity. But before he could even say something, the nurse asked him again.

“Do you know when he last ate?”

“I- Yes, this morning. I wasn’t able to eat with him, so I just reminded him to.”

“Actually, I haven’t eaten…”

“What?!” Sunghoon’s head shot to look back at Jake, who averted his gaze to anything but Sunghoon. He probably already knew how the younger would react, which explains his surprise when Sunghoon got over it quickly.

“Can I go get him something to eat now?” Sunghoon asked the nurse, who replied a _‘yes, please_ ’ in return. Without wasting a moment, he ran to the cafeteria to find anything acceptable. He didn’t want to waste time scolding Jake when he can do something about it instead.

When he returned, the nurse just finished taking Jake’s body temperature. He catched a few parts of their conversation as he walked the short distance to the bed.

“38.2. You have a mild fever. You don’t seem to be taking care of yourself well,” she sighed. “Playing without having eaten anything will really tire you out like this. You’re lucky to have a boyfriend taking care of you.”

Before he could even hear Jake deny the nurse's statement, Sunghoon came inside the drawn curtains, holding a cup of instant ramen. He sat beside the older, who was blushing profusely for some reason.

“Is ramen okay?” Jake nodded, reaching for the cup. He almost dropped the piping hot contents if not for Sunghoon’s hand shooting up against his forehead.

“You’re so red!” Sunghoon felt his temperature but retracted his hand just as quickly. “When I said you’ll be hot someday, I didn’t mean it like this.”

The nurse who was silently watching suddenly cleared her throat, interrupting their moment. She gave Sunghoon a note on Jake’s stats.

“Here's everything you need to know. He just needs to rest properly for the day. You can take care of him, yes?”

Sunghoon nodded. “Yes, thank you. I can take it from here,” he said, and the nurse left the two alone. Sunghoon finally handed Jake the cup of ramen, which the brunette gratefully accepted. While he ate, Sunghoon read the stats written on Jake’s note.

“Mild fever and exhaustion. Seriously, Jake?” Jake flinched at Sunghoon’s slightly scolding tone, which Sunghoon immediately apologized for. He continued. “This is why I didn’t want you to play. I knew something was up the second you stepped on the field.”

Jake paused from slurping his noodles and put the small bowl on the side table. He leaned his head on Sunghoon’s shoulder and looped an arm around the other’s. 

“I’m sorry…” He said weakly, drawing out the last syllable. Sunghoon knew Jake had a lot to say, but that can wait until later. He brought his hand up over Jake’s head and ran his fingers through his hair. They sat there for a while until Jake spoke again.

“I want to go home, Hoonie…” Jake stroked Sunghoon’s arm softly. Sunghoon rubbed his shoulder in return.

“Finish your food first. I’ll just ask Ni-ki to bring your things later.” Sunghoon patted his head. As Jake continued to eat, he sent a quick message to their younger friend. While he was typing away at his phone, he felt Jake poke at his cheek.

“Can we go to your room?” Jake asked.

Sunghoon hummed in thought. “Won’t it be more comfortable if you rest in yours?”

“My room is… not in its best state.”

Sunghoon smiled in reply. “All the more reason we should go to yours.” Too tired to argue, the older silently nodded in resignation. When he finished eating, Sunghoon picked up a tissue from a nearby tissue box and wiped the sauce off Jake’s lips. He stood up and threw the trash away, then took one of the other’s hand in his.

“You ready to go?” Jake nodded in reply. He stood up, but his knees gave out under him, almost falling if not for the younger catching him. Knowing he couldn’t walk at the moment, Sunghoon moved to put his arm under Jake’s knees like before, but Jake waved his hand.

“No, no,” he whispered, “Too scandalous.”

Sunghoon huffed in fake annoyance, making Jake giggle. He crouched in front of Jake and waited until he slowly felt a soft weight on his back. He wrapped Jake’s arms securely around his shoulders then put his hands under Jake’s thighs. On their way out, Jake buried his face on Sunghoon’s nape as the younger notified the nurse of their departure. 

.

After a short while of walking, they finally arrived at Jake's room. Fortunately, Jake gave Sunghoon a spare key beforehand, since Jake didn’t have his with him at the moment. Sunghoon fiddled with the lock for a while before wordlessly entering the room. He noted the multitude of textbooks strewn across one side of the bed, aside from the scattered sheets of paper over his desk. He let out a huff, exasperated. _He’s overworking himself again_.

He laid Jake down on the other side of his bed, only realizing that the brunette had fallen asleep along the way. He carefully adjusted Jake’s lying position then took off his shoes and socks. After putting them on the rack, he proceeded to work on the clutter. He was halfway done sorting the papers when he heard a quiet grunt. He set them down on the desk before rushing to the other’s side.

“Are you feeling better?” Sunghoon sat on the chair beside Jake’s bed.

“I don’t know…” Jake sat up but laid back again. His head spinned with the abrupt movement, making him hold his head again. Sunghoon tsked, but chuckled afterwards. 

“What am I going to do with you?”

As soon as he slumped back on the chair, he heard a knock on the door. He stood up, thinking it was Ni-ki and sure enough, the younger teen greeted him with one giant trophy and a smaller one.

“Ta-da!” Ni-ki cackled. “Before you ask, yes, this is the team’s trophy.” He said, lifting the larger one.

Before Sunghoon could reply, he felt hands clutching his arm, and a head slowly peeking out from behind.

“Hello, Ni-ki.” Jake greeted, smiling tiredly with squinted eyes, which Ni-ki returned with a nod.

“They wanted you to keep this, hyung.” He said, handing the trophy. While they were busy talking, Sunghoon discreetly took Jake’s bag from Ni-ki and brought it inside the room. As he fixed the older’s things, he listened to the two talk about the game earlier.

“You weren’t in the pictures earlier, so we thought you could just take one with the trophy anytime you want. You deserved it anyway, I mean…” He brought up the smaller trophy in front of Jake, whose eyes widened in astonishment.

“Most Valuable Player? Me?” Jake pointed to himself, stunned. He took the trophy in his free hand, staring at it with pure interest.

“Yeah, you were even supposed to stand on the podium! Such a shame that you couldn’t.”

Sunghoon put a hand on Jake’s shoulder before butting in. “I agree. We all saw how you stumbled your way to victory.” Jake groaned and hit him on the shoulder, while Ni-ki laughed in understanding. 

“That reminds me, you should rest, hyung. Sunghoon-hyung, please take care of him, I’ll get going.” Ni-ki waved them goodbye and went to walk away. When he was already out of sight, they went back inside the room. Sunghoon took the trophies from Jake’s hands and set them on the counter.

“Hey, MVP,” Sunghoon called out. “Do you wanna take a bath?”

Jake’s head whipped to look back at Sunghoon, but immediately regretted it as he fell back on his bed. Sunghoon rushed to him when he noticed, sitting down beside him. He took Jake’s hand in his and gently squeezed it.

“Can’t do it?”

“I- I thought you meant _‘bathe together’_!” Jake rubbed his temples. “But no, I don’t think I can stand up for long yet.”

“That’s fine.” Sunghoon ruffled his hair. “Wait here.” He went and moved around for a while, making his way among the rooms. It was a relief that he frequented the place and knew where everything was, as it proved very helpful today. He came back carrying a basin full of water and some other things, which he almost dropped at Jake’s sudden scream.

“What’s wrong?”

“You-” Jake pointed an accusing finger at the younger, “You’re giving me a sponge bath?”

“Yeah, I-”

“You’re gonna see me naked!”

“Yeah, so?”

“I- What do you mean ‘so’?!”

“Since when was that a problem to you? Didn’t you like showing off your muscles–”

“But this is different!”

“I–” Sunghoon exhaled. “You’re gonna get sicker from that sticky sweat on you. Look, I’ll do the upper then you do the rest later. Is that reasonable enough?”

Jake huffed, nodding begrudgingly. He leaned back on the headboard and watched as Sunghoon sat down and made quick work of the things he brought. He couldn't help but think of how perfect the younger looked as he wrung out the excess water from the small towel.

Sunghoon moved forward and waited for Jake to remove his shirt, but went and removed it himself when the older hesitated for too long. After the protests died down, Sunghoon leaned forward and pressed a clean, damp towel to Jake’s face, wiping it gently. Then he moved to the older’s neck, arms, and torso, taking occasional breaks to rinse the towel. When he was done, he took the big fluffy towel he brought earlier and dried the older’s body. Jake, meanwhile, gaped in awe and admiration while the younger silently did his ministrations. He watched even as Sunghoon stood up to put back all the things he used. When he returned, he was holding a glass of water and a pack of fever pills.

“The last time someone gave a sponge bath, it was my mom. I guess it feels good to be taken care of once in a while.” Jake spoke up between the silence, taking the glass Sunghoon brought. He held out a waiting palm as Sunghoon took out a tablet for him. He popped it into his mouth and drank, then he continued, “That’s why it felt weird when it was you doing it. It’s... intimate.”

Sunghoon chuckled while shuffling through the contents of Jake’s closet. He retrieved the sweatpants he got for him as a gift and a fluffy hoodie that the older liked wearing. He set them on the bed and replied as he sat down.

“You still ramble when you’re embarrassed.” Sunghoon watched as Jake took the hoodie and put it over his head. He turned around when Jake was about to change into the pants, but still continued to speak. “Don’t worry, I enjoyed every second of it.” He laughed as he felt Jake playfully hit him with a pillow before sitting back down on the bed.

“Seriously though, you did a terrible job at taking care of yourself these days. I don’t mind doing it for you from now on.” He put a hand over Jake’s knee, smirking suggestively. Jake rolled his eyes, but dropped a heavy hand over Sunghoon’s. 

“What a sweet talker.” Jake rubbed his chest dramatically, making Sunghoon laugh. But after a short moment, Sunghoon saw his shoulders slump down. He raised a brow when Jake looked up at him again, this time with a bitter smile.

“Your future partner would surely be super lucky to have you.” 

At that, Sunghoon smiled. He moved his hand so that he was holding Jake’s instead, gently caressing his knuckles with his thumb before finally replying.

  
  


“You would be super lucky then.”

**Author's Note:**

> Not really sure if you can eat immediately after fainting but let's just pretend Sunghoon took a while in getting that ramen and Jake was already okay enough to eat when he came back
> 
> Edit: I typed the title incorrectly this is so embarrassing ><


End file.
